Musical drum.



T. iHEMBERGER.

MUSICAL DRUM.

APPLIGATION FILED MAR.9,1908.

,899,488 Patented Sept. 22, 1908.

- heads properly.

-the city of S regulated simultaneously, and as the heads .moved whenever necessary or desired and .ill f this THEODOR HEMBERGER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

MUSICAL DRU-MI.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 22, 1908.

Original application filed December 24. 1907, Serial No. 4071906. Divided and this application led March 9, 1908. Serial No. 419.980.

To all whom it lmay cof/wem:

Be it known that l, Tnnonon linimnncna, a citizen of the United States, residingy at t. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Musical lrunis, of which the following is a specification, reference being` had to the accompanying drawings, torn'iing part oi this specihcation, this division of my former application tor patent for drums, tiled December 24, 1907, Serial ANo. 407,906.

In the drawings Figure l is top plan view ot a drum embodyingf my invention, portions thereof being,` broken away to more clearly show certain details ot' construction; Fig'. 2 is a side elevational view, partly in section, ot said drum; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail sectional view, somewhat enlarged, ot my drum; and Fig, 5 is a fragmentary detail sectional view ot one ot the clamping rings used on my drum.

- This invention relates to a. new and useful improvement in. musical drums.

Heretotoraso tar as l am aware,`in the manufacture of musical drums thevellum or skin heads are placed while wet on the bodj or shell portion of the drum and allowed to stretch and dry thereon, being held in position by a clamping ring. Should a head afterwards become worn or broken, it takes some time-to remove the broken -or worn head and replace the same with a new one: Also, in tuning the heads of drums now on theV market, the tension of both heads is usually vary considerably to quality, it is very dithcult and also takes considerable time to regulate the tension of, or tune, said The objects of my invention are, therefore, broadly, to provide a drum with. interchangeable heads which can be readily renew heads easily and quickly placed in position and to provide a drum with heads which can be tuned separately and independeiitly.l

l/Vith these objects in view, my invention consists in the'novel construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts, all as will-hereinafter be described and atterwards Apointed out in the claims.

In the drawings,.l indicates the hollow cylindricalbody portion or shell oi the drum, on the ends of which are adapted to he l sectional view of the drum-head;

application being-1' a.s

preferably roughened or lmurled, as at 5 a, Fig.

present.

mounted the heads 2 and 3, resiiectively. ils the head 3 is similar to head 2, the description othead 2 will also be applicable to head 3. The drum-head 2 consists ot a ring or trame 2a (see particularly Fig. 3), preferably ot aluminum, around which the skin or vellum portion of the head is folded while wet and allowed to stretch and dry thereon, said ring forming?r a retaining or siuiportingi` trame for said skin or vellum. The odge of the skin or vellum is brought some little distance over and around said ring, as shown in Fig. Il, so as to provide a hem, in order that when the head is in position on the body portion oi the drum and tension is applied thereto l y means ot the securing devices hereinafter I described, the' said skin portion will not pull ,otl' from around said ring. Thesedrumheads, consisting' of said supportingr ring and the skin or vellum ortioii stretched thereon,

are made entirely c istinct and separate from the drum proper and can be made in any quantity, so that'iii the event ot a head becoming broken or worn, it can be readily removed, as hereinafter described, and a new head quicklyplaced in position. In order that the supporting-ring 2a will not be pulled out ot shape by the shrinkage of said skin portion in drying, and also in order-to prevent any corroding or wearing oli. said skin portion by said ring, which would occur were said ring of ii'on or some similar metal liable to rust, said ring 2a, as stated, is preferably made ot' aluminum or some other similar metal which does not rust and which is, at the same time, strongr enough to resist the shrinkingT force ot said skin portion. The edges ot the body portion or'sliell l are pret'-v erahly 'folded inwardly, as at l, to forro'. a. roundedsmooth edge, which will not injure or cut the drum-heads 2 and 3 when in position thereon., the lioldingr-in of said edges also serving to stitl'eii said liody portion. Over s-aid heads 2 Aand 3 are. designed to he placed clamping-rings l and 5, respectively. Rings 4 and 5 aresubstantially U-sliaped iii crosssection, the inner i'langes therei'it', which rest upon and hear against the said heads', being 5, so as to securely grip the edges ot said heads. 2 and 3. The Vouter flanges ci said rings Al and 5 are provided to ayoid a sharp edge which the base webs of said Arings would otherwise Around said body portion l and a short distance from the top and bottom then-eel are rings 6 and 7, in the torni preterabl of an le-irons, Which are riveted to said bo y portlon 1, as shown in'Figs, 2 and 4. The horizontal flanges of said rings 6 and 7 are provided With threaded openings to receive securing-screws 9 fitting 1n perforations o r openings in the rings 4 and 5,' the screws `9 being Apreferably provided with angular or square heads, 'sc that they may be readily adjusted. By this construction, the tension -of the drum-heads is readily adjusted or regulated by tightening or loosening said screws 9, the knurled or roughened edg'e of the clamping-rings 4 land 5 firmly gripping said heads vand stretching the same evenly and smoothly, the greater the tension of said heads the louder-and clearer the tone of the drum. As

there is a clamping-.ring for each drum-head with a separate set of adjusting or securing# screws 9 therefor, each drum-head can be Veasily and quickly tuned or stretched independently of the other, and the said heads, eing of the same construction, can also be used interchangeabl` As Will also be readily seen, shoulda ead become broken or Worn, it can be uickly removed by loosening the screws@ 'an clam ing rings 4 or 5, and a new head easily lace in position, this operation requiring ut 'a very short space of time.

I prefer t'o makemy drum of aluminum or other light-material, so that, While the-Wei ht vthereof is not greater than thatofy ot er drumslwith Which I am familiar, the same is rendered very durable and will not be injured or damaged. by any rough usage to `which it. may be subjected.

I said ring and then folded back upon the said skin portion Within the circumference of said ring; substantially as described.

l 2.4 A head fory musical drums or similar musical instruments, the same consisting of a metallic retainingring and a skin portion vstretched over the area of said ring on the `plane ofthe top 4edge thereof, the edge of said skin portion bein brought under and around said ring and t en folded back over saidring'and upon the skin portion within the circumference of said ring; substantially as described. A

- 3'. In a musical drum, the combination With a cylindrical body portion, of a re said body portion and a' skin 'portion stretched across the area of said ring, the

vedge of 'said skin portion being brought around and over said ring and then folded back, in the form o'f a hem, to Within the circumference of said body ,portion and upon said skin portion Within the circumference of said ring, and means adapted 'to rest and l bear upon said hem for removably securing said ring ,in position on said body portion;

` substantially as described.

4. In a musical drum, the combination Witha cylindrical body portion, of a removable drum head therefor, said -drumhead consisting of a retaining-ring adapted to impinge and fit closely around the top of said body portion and a skin portion stretched across the area of said ring, the edge of said skin portion being broughtaround and over said ring and then folded back, in the form of a hem,' to Withinthe circumference of said body portionand upon said skin portion Within the circumference of said ring, a clamping-ring adapted to rest on said retaining-ring and to impmge upon said hem, a laterally extending ange around 'said body ortion, and screws passing throughl ,said c amping-ring and into said flange forremovably securing said drum-head in positiQn' and regulating the 'tension of the skin portion thereof; substantially as described.

5. In a musical drum, an aluminum cylindrical bodyl ortion, a removable drum-head thereforfsaid drum-head consisting of an aluminum ring fitting around the outer edge of said body portion' and a skin portion -S't'retched across said ring, the edge of said skin portion being brought around and over said ring in the form of a hem, a U-shaped clamping ring for removably holding said drum-head in place, the inner flange ofsaid clamping ring bearing on the ring portion of said head over said hem, an aluminum ring of angledron shape secured to said body por.- tion, and `screws passing through said clam'ping ring and into the horizontal flange of said angle-iron ring for removably holding said clamping ring. in position and regulating the tension of the skin ortion of said head; substantially as descri ed.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

THEODOR 'HEMBER GER.

Witnesses:

JOHN oYLE, EDGAR W. JAcoss. 

